Asian elephant found dead at Oklahoma zoo; second to die in months

OKLAHOMA CITY, Feb 1 (Reuters) - An Asian elephant that was
moved from Seattle to an Oklahoma zoo died over the weekend,
renewing debate over whether 37-year-old Chai should have been
retired to a California wildlife sanctuary instead.

The Oklahoma City Zoo is conducting a necropsy on Chai,
who arrived in May from Seattle's Woodland Park Zoo along with
48-year-old female elephant Bamboo. The elephants were moved
because the Seattle zoo was closing its elephant exhibit.

"Our hearts are broken," said Tara Henson, a spokeswoman for
the Oklahoma City Zoo. "There were no clinical signs of health
issues with Chai."

Chai is the second elephant to die at the Oklahoma Zoo in
the last four months. In October, a 4-year-old Asian elephant
named Malee died of a viral infection.

Asian elephants, an endangered species, can live up to 60
years in the wild, according to the National Zoo in Washington,
D.C.

The Friends of Woodland Park Zoo Elephants, which wanted the
elephants to go to a sanctuary, posted on Facebook: "Chai's
death has highlighted the growing nationwide concern about
keeping and breeding elephants in zoo captivity."

Over the last few years animal-rights groups have pushed for
elephants to be kept in sanctuaries with large areas to roam
and more social interaction than typically available in zoos.
Groups have filed lawsuits in several states to move elephants
to sanctuaries or block zoos from importing them.

The Oklahoma City Zoo was chosen for its breeding program,
multigenerational herd and staff expertise, the Seattle zoo
said. The wildlife sanctuary in California also has Asian and
African elephants, as well as hundreds of acres of varied
natural terrain and a warmer climate.
(Writing by Jon Herskovitz; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)